Collapsible container



Oct. 31, 1961 w. w. CUSHMAN COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Filed Feb. 11, 1959 INVENTOR Walton W Cusfimazz United States Patent Office 3,006,396 Patented Oct. 31, 1961 3,006,396 COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Walton W. Cnshnian, Webb City, Mo. (6428 Lamar Drive SE., Vashington 22, D.C.) Filed Feb. 11, 1959, Ser. No. 792,683 7 Claims. (Cl. 150-.5) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

My present invention relates to a collapsible container for liquids such, for example, as petroleum products, having interfltting parts capable of quick and easy assembly and one which, when empty, may be readily disassembled and collapsed for, for example, return shipment, occupying a minimum of space in the transporting vehicle.

The present invention has to do, as stated above, with a collapsible type container which may be assembled and filled for shipment and one which, after having its contents discharged or removed, can be collapsed or knocked down into a flat condition for return shipment, thus permitting a large number of the collapsed containers or drums to be shipped in a relatively small space in a carrier, such, for example, as an aircraft.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a new and improved flexible and collapsible container or drum for the storage and transport of liquids of various kinds, such, for example, as petroleum products, and one which can be easily set up from a collapsed condition and, after discharge of its contents, can be readily and quickly collapsed into a flattened condition.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a relatively simple, flexible, and collapsible container or drum, whose removable heads are placed within the body portion and then, by the application of air pressure, caused to sealingly fit into the body to close and seal the container.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved container or drum of the foregoing character in which the flexible walls of the body portion of the container or drum are suitably reinforced at points adjacent the ends thereof to receive and support and removably lock in position the pressurized heads which form the closures for said container.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved collapsible container or drum for liquids formed from some suitable elastomer in which the heads are caused to be expanded and removably locked into place with relation to the body.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and appended claims when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

In said drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a closed and sealed empty collapsible container or drum embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of the container or drum shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional exploded view of the container, with the lower head inflated and in sealing relationship with the lower portions of the walls of the generally cylindrical body of said container and showing the upper head removed;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a filled container embodying the invention and showing the upper or top head inflated and in sealing relationship with the walls of the container body; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail View of the hand-controlled valve and the upper head of the collapsible container.

Before explaining in detail the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. It is to be understood also that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

The flexible collapsible container of the present invention is easier and less costly to manufacture than previously known containers because of the fact that it is possible in so doing to use conventional mandrel-coated fabrics techniques. Moreover, it has the advantage of having less weight than previously known containers or drums of non-metallic material and because of its novel structure, rigidity is not dependent upon the strength of the fabric used. Further, because of its greater collapsibility than previously known containers of this general nature, it effects large savings in both space and costs or charges for return shipments of empty and collapsed containers. Additionally, the present container, by virtue of its reinforced external beads (to be presently described) thus giving so-called greater circular rigidity, is an improvement over previously known containers. A further and important advantage, of course, is that it provides easier accessibility for interior cleaning and inspection because of the easy removability of the heads and the fact that the entire interior of the generally cylindrical body of the container, is accessible. The removal of but one of the heads will permit thorough cleaning of the entire interior.

With particular reference to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a complete but empty collapsible container, or drum, embodying my invention. The container is shown as a whole at 10, and has a generally cylindrical body or body portion 11. The upper end portion of the body 11 is provided with a pair of spaced external annular reinforcing beads or projections 12 and 13, and the lower end portion of the body 11 is provided with a similar pair of external annular beads or projections 14 and 15. These two pairs of beads are arranged in spaced relationship as shown, the beads 12 and 14 defining the peripheral upper edge or end and the lower edge or end, respectively, of the cylindrical body 11. For the purposes of further reinforcing the body 11, annular rings or cables 16, preferably formed from steel, are embedded in the beads or annular projections 12, 13, 14 and 15. Thus, while the body 11 is fully flexible and collapsible, the reinforcing of the beads lends a certain amount of rigidity to said body and thus assists in the setting up of the container, the dismantling thereof, and its general strength and ruggedness.

The container 10 is provided with an upper or top head or end, shown as a whole at 17, which is formed from a suitable elastomer and which has a web-like central portion 18 and an inflatable tube-like peripheral portion 19, the latter being provided with an air valve 20 for purposes of inflation and/ or deflation of the tubelike portion 19.

As seen in FIG. 4, when the drum is set up and filled, with the upper head 17 inserted to engage the walls between beads 12 and 13, a pressure hose (not shown) is applied to the air valve 20 and the tube-like peripheral portion 19 inflated, preferably to a pressure of from 100 to 200 pounds per square inch. This inflation causes an expansion outwardly of the tube-like peripheral portion 19 so as to flex or bulge outwardly that portion or area 11a of the wall of the body 11 which is disposed between the beads 12 and 13, this being clearly shown in FIG. 4. This bulging or distortion outwardly of the Wall portion 110 causes the inflatable periphery 19 of the head 17 to seat in the annular depression or socket formed by said bulging to thus tightly seal the upper end of the container or drum against ingress or egress of air or liquid. The upper head or closure 17 is shown somewhat more in detail at the top of FIG. 3, being apart from the body 11.

In FIG. 3, there is shown the inflated lower or bottom head 27 in sealed condition in the empty container 10. The head 27 is similar to head 17, and is also formed from some suitable elastomer. It has, as in the case of head 17, a central web portion 28 and a surrounding or peripheral tube-like integral portion 29, the latter being provided with an air inflation and/ or deflation valve 30, similar to valve 20 of head 17.

With further reference to FIG. 3, the parts are shown in this view in the condition in which they remain after setting up the container with its lower head 27 in sealed condition but prior to the upper head 17 being placed in its sealing relationship with respect to the upper portion of body 11. Assuming that the container of FIG. 3 has been filled with the desired quantity of a given liquid (as in FIG. 4) with the lower or bottom head 27 having been inflated to cause a bulging of the wall area or portion 11b between the beads 14 and 15, a pressure air line (not shown) is then applied to the valve of the upper head 17 to inflate the tube-like peripheral portion 19 to the desired pressure, for example, a pressure of from 100 to 200 pounds per square inch. Such inflation and consequent expansion outwardly of the tubular portion 19 will cause an outward flaring or bulging of the wall portion or area 11a between the beads 12 and 13, as seen in FIG. 4. Both heads 17 and 27 are now in releasably locked and sealing relation to body 11, with the inflated and thus expanded portions 19 and 29 in intimate contact with their respective seats formed by the bulged portions 11a and 11b of FIGS. 4 and 3, respectively.

The filled drum or container 10 has superior rollability because of the annular projecting portions 11a and 11b,

As clearly shown in the drawing, the upper head 17 p is also provided with a hand-controlled valve 8 mounted in a flexible hose or pipe line 7 which connects the interior of annular chamber 19 with the interior of drum 10, see especially FIG. 3, the valve being controlled by a finger piece 6. While I have shown only the top head 17 as having the extra valve 8, it will be understood that, if desired lower head 27 may be provided with a similar valve.

The purpose of the valve-pipe line assembly 6, 7, 8, is to permit air from the tube-like peripheral portion 19 to be bled" into the interior of the drum 10 above the body of liquid 5 therein to create a pressure head thereon to speed its discharge through the bung hole upon removal of bung 9. A

While the use of the present container, or drum has been described as being in connection with the handling and shipment of petroleum products, it is obvious that any desired liquid, or semi-solid, or plastic material, may

be placed in the container for storage and/ or shipment purposes.

As explained above, after a shipment has been made and the contents of one of the containers 10 consumed, it is a simple matter to deflate the lower tubular portion 29 of the head 27, separate the head and body, and flatten out the body 11 so that the flattened body and the upper and lower heads 17 and 27, respectively, may be placed in a compact relatively flat pile or package for return or empty shipment.

The body 11 has been described as being generally or substantially tubular. It may, however, take different cross-sectional shapes, if desired. In this case, the heads would, of course, have to be formed so as to conform to the varied shape or cross-sectional outline of the body 11.

Another use for containers or drums in accordance with my invention is to fill them with cans surrounded by foamed plastic, allow time for the plastic to set, close and seal the drum, and then create a vacuum therein to cause the walls to collapse and hug the cans and plastic contents. If desired, the drum may be filled with sand, closed and sealed, and then subjected to vacuum to collapse its side walls.

I claim:

1. A collapsible container having a generally cylindrical body and removable head members for closing both ends thereof, said heads being interchangeable, the cylindrical body and the removable head members being formed from an el-astomer, said body portion having at each of its opposite ends a pair of spaced external annular beads, an annular steel reinforcing ring embedded in each of said beads, each of said head members having a central web and a peripheral portion in the form of an integral annular inflatable tube, the heads being located within the end portions of the cylindrical body at points between each pair of ring-reinforced external annular beads, and valve means carried by each of the head members whereby to permit inflation of the annular inflatable tubes to expand the material of the body between the reinforced pairs of beads to sealingly close the ends of the container.

2. A collapsible container for liquid petroleum products having a generally cylindrical body and removable heads for closing the ends of the body, said body and removable heads being formed from an elastomer, a pair of spaced metallic ring-reinforced external annular heads at each end of said body, each of said heads having a central web surrounded by a pherip heral inflatable tube and being disposed within the body adjacent the ends thereof and between a pair of the spaced metallic ringreinforced external annular beads, and valve means carried by each head whereby to permit inflation of its inflatable tube to expand the body portion between the beads providing an annular recess with which the inflated tube cooperates to sealingly close that end of the container.

3. A collapsible container for liquids in which the container has a generally cylindrical body having upper and lower heads at least one thereof being removable, said container being formed from an elastomer, a pair of spaced external annular beads disposed at one end port-ion of the body, annular inextensible flexible reinforcing means embedded in the heads, the removable head having a central flat web portion surrounded by an inflatable integral tubular ring-like periphery, said removable head, when assembled with said body, having its inflatable tubular peripheral portion in contact with the wall portion of the cylindrical body in the area between said pair of reinforced beads, and valve means carried by the head for inflation and deflation of the inflatable periphery thereof whereby upon inflation to a pressure of the order of to 200 pounds per square inch its expansive action will flex the said wall portion to frictionally lock and seal the head to the body.

4. A collapsible container according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical body is provided with a bung hole and a removable bung, and wherein at least one of said head members has a second valve and pipe-line assembly for directing air under pressure from its annular tube-like peripheral portion into the interior of the container to place a pressure head thereon.

5. A collapsible container for liquids, such as petroleum products, comprising a generally cylindrical body having a bung hole formed therein, a removable bung in said bung 'hole, said container being formed from an elastomer, upper and lower heads removably engaged with said body, inflatable means forming the peripheral portions of the heads, and valve means carried by the heads for inflating their peripheral portions whereby the application of air pressure to said portions will expand them outwardly and cause the adjacent portions of the cylindrical body to bulge outwardly and thus sealingly and removably lock the heads in position within said body, at least one of said heads having a combined valve-hose line assembly interconnecting the peripheral inflatable portion and the interior of the container for discharging at will air under pressure from the former into the latter.

6. A collapsible container for liquids, or the like, formed from an elastomer and comprising a generally cylindrical body having a relatively thin and flexible wall portion and upper and lower heads at least one of which is removable, two pairs of spaced annular inextensible reinforcing rings embedded in said flexible wall portion and located at and defining the two areas thereof with which said heads are adapted to be expanded into frictional locking engagement, inflatable tube-like peripheral means carried by each head, and valve means associated with said inflatable tube-like peripheral means to permit its inflation by air under pressure to expand the same outwardly into frictional sealing contact with the immediately adjacent flexible wall portion to bulge said wall portion outwardly in that area between and defined by a pair of the reinforcing rings and thus releasably look and seal the head-carried inflatable means in position therebetween against accidental displacement from said body.

7. A collapsible container for liquids, or the like, according to claim 6, wherein at least one of said heads has a combined valve-hose line assembly interconnecting the peripheral inflatable means and the interior of the container for discharging at will air under pressure from the former into the latter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 658,588 Reynolds Sept. 25, 1900 2,114,686 Roberts et a1. Apr. 19, 1938 2,201,322 Schwartz May 21, 1940 2,371,586 Schwartz Mar. 13, 1945 2,580,879 Belokin Jan. 1, 1952 2,622,645 Pfleumer Dec. 23, 1952 2,696,323 Sanderson Dec. 7, 1954 2,854,048 Cunningham Sept. 30, 1958 2,888,717 Domitrovic June 2, 1959 

